Jewel of the Visayas

In the islands of the Central Visayas hides a very precious jewel that some may not know of. This is Dumaguete city - home of the prestigious Silliman University and of gentle people. My first encounter with Dumaguete city was during a church camp down at Sibulan, Negross Oriental. We passed by the City on the way to Manjuyod, another town in Negros. My first reaction was unbelievable, such a small city could contain almost everything a huge city could offer. I often term it as a mini-city, where your coffee shop is just a couple of blocks away from where you live. Amazing right? Silliman University is also one of my favorite spots in the city aside from the Boulevard. It houses the ever famous Luce Auditorium which is considered to be an elite auditorium leveling with the standards of the Culture Center of the Philippines and a lot more. The longest epic Hinilawod was staged in the Luce Auditorium a couple of months ago. Watch out as Dumaguete city restages it again!




www.hinilawod.com

Play to Act

They say that theater involves acting injected with music and a lot of other effects such as lights, props, personality and a whole lot more. As an advocate of the arts, I have actually seen a couple of musical plays on stage. Some of them are boring as they go (or they just never amuse me) and some may be appealing. I personally think acting on stage is like any normal child's play, except that it's serious this time. Why do I say play? Simply because the whole masterpiece loses its sole purpose if the actors on stage do not have fun nor enjoy what they are doing. I actually know a certain number of people who do act on stage just for the sake of the monetary benefits and honestly, they do not live up to the standards of theater. Its mainly different when the actors put their heart into it just like any ordinary child playing with his/her favorite game. I remember as a kid I loved to play beautician. Whenever I take out my dolls, I brush their hairs carefully and dress them as if they were real. One musical play that I know of is Hinilawod. I have seen this stage play on stage twice and mind you, everyone (including their crew) had their passion of it. Well I guess they really understood what it meant to be on stage and talking to the audience or imparting their piece. That's what theater is ought to be. So the next time you think of acting, think of playing except that it's serious. :)

www.hinilawod.com

Mga Alamat

Legends have always been a part of a county's history. Regardless of what the power of mouth could do, they have always been there since the beginning of everything. Legends are supposed to explain the beginning or the origin of everything. In our own Philippine setting, we have what we call the "alamat". They also aim to explain the origin of a place, a land/water formation or a natural occurance. There have been a lot of alamats from different places and regions. The best ones are those untold and unwritten. Check out your local place, you might grasp an alamat that you have never known of.




www.hinilawod.com

Past Time

Who ever said Filipinos had no say on literature? I'd like to correct whoever person with a wrong perception on that. Our ancestors wrote timeless chants, prayers and poems. Some even went to the extent of writing epics and plays for local entertainment. Fast forward to modern times, Filipino writers have almost lost their edge on the way they do their passion. Some are stuck with romance novels sold at ten pesos a piece. Needless to say, this business is in boom - especially to the local mass. Why? First, it is binded with our local language. If not using the dialect of the region, the national language is used which is very much comfortable for most of the people. Second, the plot is based on a typical Filipino setting. We know how we love to swoon over love stories that are promising and even so, close to what we have. People can "relate" to whatever the novel talks about. Lastly, it is cheap and accessible to almost everyone. Having a book for ten pesos a piece isn't a bad price at all at these times. Cheap entertainment may not be that enticing but its almost found in every bookstore. Romantic novels may speak of our deteriorating standards on literature, we can always look back to where everything started.

www.hinilawod.com